EUGENE — Capping off a breathtaking tenth and final day of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field Sunday at Hayward Field, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone broke her own world record in the women's 400 hurdles with a masterful 50.65 that trimmed .03 off the WR she set to win the 2022 world title on this track. On a day that saw seven Trials records broken and more than 30 lifetime bests in 11 events, McLaughlin-Levrone's titanic effort was again the sparkling gem in a meet that met, nay surpassed, all expectations. Starting off slower than she did in her last WR race, McLaughlin-Levrone pushed down the pedal on the final bend and came roaring off the curve to put almost two seconds between her and runner-up Anna Cockrell, who clocked a PB 52.64 to move to No. 10 on the all-time world performer list and No. 7 on the U.S. version. NCAA champion Jasmine Jones slashed her PB to 52.77 in third to take over the No. 8 U.S. all-time performer spot, with Shamier Little just off the podium with a 52.98 in fourth. Rachel Glenn of Arkansas, who earlier this week qualified for Paris in the high jump, scored a PB of 53.46 to take fifth. The deepest women's 100 hurdles final outside of the 2022 World Championships signaled a changing of the guard of sorts as Masai Russell broke the meet record and took over the No. 2 spot on the all-time U.S. performer list with a sterling 12.25 that also put her in a tie for fourth on the world all-time list. Alaysha Johnson and Grace Stark had the same time, 12.31, but Johnson got the nod for second by .007 seconds as both women set PBs and tied for fifth on the U.S. all-time list. 2019 world champion Nia Ali was fourth in 12.37, a season best, ahead of Tonea Marshall (12.38) and American record holder Keni Harrison (12.39). Taking the men's 800 field through the bell at 51.2, Bryce Hoppel didn't slow down much as he pulled away from the pack to break the meet record with a 1:42.77 that made him the third fastest American ever. Hoppel closed in 51.57 to win comfortably, but behind him a furious battle for the other two podium spots saw Hobbs Kessler clock a PB 1:43.64 in second and Brandon Miller 1:43.97 in third. Kessler, who previously qualified for Paris in the 1500, had the fastest runner-up finish in Trials history and the three men behind Miller set lifetime bests. Josh Hoey cracked 1:45 for the first time with a 1:44.12 in fourth, followed by Jonah Koech's 1:44.32 in fifth and NCAA champion Shane Cohen of Virginia, who crossed the line sixth in 1:44.65. Another mad dash down the homestretch yielded the greatest women's 1500 in U.S. history, topped by Nikki Hiltz's 3:55.33 meet record that claimed the No. 2 all-time spot on the American performer list. Hiltz outkicked Emily Mackay, who ran 3:55.90 in second, and 5000 champion Elle St. Pierre, who was third in 3:55.99. Mackay and St. Pierre took over the No. 3 and No. 4 all-time berths on the U.S. list and Sinclaire Johnson's 3:56.75 in fourth was good for No. 6. Cory McGee took fifth and nabbed the No. 10 spot in 3:57.44, with three more women behind her dipping under 4:00. As expected, American record holder Rai Benjamin was a runaway winner in the men's 400 hurdles, breaking his own Trials record with a world-leading 46.46 that was the fifth fastest time ever run and the third-fastest performance ever by an American. More than a second adrift of the winner, CJ Allen and Trevor Bassitt fought hard to the line as Allen took the runner-up spot by .01 in a season best 47.81, with Bassitt earning a Paris ticket in 47.82. Needing to meet the Olympic qualifying standard of 13:05 to have any hope of earning a spot in the men's 5000, Woody Kincaid went to the lead early and led through the first kilometer in 2:41.87 and 2km in 5:20.57. His bold gambit took a toll, though, and by 3km Abdihamid Nur had taken over at the front a stride ahead of 10,000 champion Grant Fisher. Those two stuck together through the closing kilometers and Fisher won the final sprint to take the title in 13:08.85, a meet record, with Nur second in 13:09.01. North Carolina's Parker Wolfe, the NCAA champion, unleashed a monster kick off the final bend to snag third in a PB 13:10.75, two seconds up on Graham Blanks in fourth. Wolfe does not have the Paris standard, but Blanks does, so Wolfe will have to wait for all the World Athletics quota shuffling to conclude to learn if he will race at the Games. On her opening throw in the women's javelin, Maggie Malone-Hardin broke the Trials record she set in 2021 with a 64.58/211-10. That left all eyes on Kara Winger, who needed to hit the Games standard of 64.00 to have a chance at making the team. Winger, the 2022 World Championships silver medalist and American record holder, came out of retirement earlier this month to give the Olympics one more shot, but her final effort of 62.94/206-6 fell agonizingly short of the needed distance. Madison Wiltrout was third at 61.17, a PB that put her at No. 8 on the all-time U.S. list. Men's hammer veterans Daniel Haugh and Rudy Winkler took the top two steps on the podium, Haugh winning with a season best 79.51/260-10 in round three and Winkler throwing a season best 78.89/258-10 in the fifth round. Justin Stafford shattered his PB to take third at 77.07/252-10, but he will be another eager observer of the quota spot shakeout as he didn't meet the Paris standard. The three men behind him in the standings, Tyler Williams, Jordan Geist and Tarik O'Hagan, all set PBs. In an upset of sorts, Bridget Williams emerged as the winner of the women's pole vault based on fewer misses at previous heights as she, Katie Moon, and Brynn King all went over 4.73/15-6.25 on first attempts. Moon, the defending Olympic champion, had one miss at 4.63/15-2.25, and NCAA Division II champion King of Roberts Wesleyan needed two tries to get over 4.53/14-10.25 before a miss at 4.63 and a pass up to the winning height. When the dust cleared, Rio 2016 silver medalist and three-time World Championships runner-up Sandi Morris missed out on another Olympic trip with a fourth-place 4.68/15-4.25. Two other men's field event finals had Salif Mane of Fairleigh Dickinson smashing his PB in the men's triple jump to win at 17.52/57-5.75, the best jump by an American this year, and Shelby McEwen clearing 2.30/7-6.5 on his first attempt to easily win the high jump. Russell Robinson, the Miami senior who also finished second to Mane at the NCAA Championships, bounded 17.01/55-9.75 to take the runner-up spot and will be a quota watcher, but Donald Scott sealed his Paris trip with a third-place 16.87/55-4.25. Behind McEwen in the high jump, NCAA bronze medalist Caleb Snowden of Arkansas-Pine Bluff negotiated 2.27/7-5.25 to match his PB and take second, with NCAA silver medalist Tyus Wilson of Nebraska third at 2.24/7-4.25. McEwen has the Olympic standard, as does JuVaughn Harrison, who was fourth, so Snowden and Wilson will join a corps of athletes awaiting the final World Athletics quota rankings. Full results are available here.
Women's 400 hurdles - 50.65, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
Men's 200 - 19.53, Noah Lyles Men's 800 - 1:42.77, Bryce Hoppel Men's 1500 - 3:30.59, Cole Hocker Men's 5000 - 13:08.85, Grant Fisher Men's 400 hurdles - 46.46, Rai Benjamin Men's Pole Vault - 5.92, Sam Kendricks Women's 1500 - 3:55.33, Nikki Hiltz Women's 3000 steeplechase - 9:03.22, Valerie Constien Women's 5000 - 14:40.34, Elle St. Pierre Women's 100 hurdles - 12.25, Masai Russell Women's 400 hurdles - 50.65, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Women's Discus - 70.89, Valarie Allman Women's Javelin - 64.58, Maggie Malone-Hardin